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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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HORSE GELDER'S GUIDE 



CONTAINING AN 



ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GENITALS IMPLI- 
CATED IN THE OPERATION OF CASTRATION, 



DIRECTIONS FOR CASTING AND CONFINING HORSES 



PREPARATORY TO OPERATING. 



also: 



A DESCRIPTION OP THE PROPER METHOD OF PEFORMING THE 

OPERATION OF CASTRATION ON STALLIONS, CRYPTORCHID 

OR RIDGLING AND RUPTURED HORSES. 



By J. R. PAXTON- — . 

Columbiis City, Iowa. ■..• 

BURLINGTON, TOW A: '^ 
Acres, Blacksiar & Co., Printers. 
1883. 



Entered according to act of Congress, in the year A. D. 1883, 

By J. R. PAXTON, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 






PEEFACE. 



Among the modem Veterinary works published in our own coun- 
try, that there should not have been, as yet, a word written on the 
castration of Cryptorchid horses, will not appear altogether so sur- 
prising when we come to consider the fact that the operation of 
castration has seldom, until very recently, been made a special 
study by well read or scientific men, but has been left to the farm- 
ers or common farriers who, as a rule, read nothing and know noth- 
ing but the little that their fathers and grandfathers may have 
shown or told them, and held by each as wonderful and valuable 
secrets. But the enterprise of the past few years has been making 
startling inroads on old fogyism. The spirit of progression, and 
the desire for knowledge based upon scientific and demonstrable 
facts, has grown to be almost a mania with the American people. 
A quarter of a century ago the only requisite necessary to become 
a popular horse gelder was to be able to know when the sign was 
right; but the time has come when it is required that even horse 
cutters should have a scientific knowledge of their calling. There 
never was a period in the history of the United States when the 
services of educated Veterinary Surgeons were so much needed as 
at the present time. The importance, therefore, of educating men 
for Zoolasis, and of furnishing reliable works for study, is self-evi- 
dent; and this necessity is further illustrated in the daily experi- 
ence of those persons who, as a matter of necessity, are obliged to 
do the best they can, having no knowledge of those advantages 
which a thorough course of training affords. Such persons must ne- 
cessarily feel that they are groping in darkness, and when a ray of 
light does flit across their path, it only serves to make them better 
acquainted with their own lack of skill, and they will certainly hail 
as a great boon every effort to improve our Veterinary literature, 
and thus diffuse knowledge so sadly needed. The present work is 
intended to supply a want, or to fill up a gap, as it were, in our 
present Veterinary literature, no other writer ever having attempted 
to delineate the principles of gelding horses that retain the testicle 
within the abdomen. The aim of this work is to render a full, and 
at the same time concise, exposition of the anatomy of the scrotum, 
inguinal canal, testicles and spermatic cords of the horse, these 
being the parts immediately implicated in the operation of castra- 
tion, together with a concise description of every detail connected 
with the operation of castration, as performed by^the author. 



INTEaDUCTION. 



A Treatise which professes to embrace the most important of the 
various matters that fall under the notice of the Veterinarian in the 
operation of castration, seems to require almost, as a matter of 
course, some introductory account of the anatomy of the parts im- 
plicated in the operation. It would be foreign to my purpose, how- 
ever, to_ describe all the details of structure which may be found in 
anatomical text books, and I have to speak of anatomy chiefly in a 
surgical sense, or as it bears upon questions which constantly arise 
in practice. Some topics of this kind will be most appropriately 
discussed when I come to write of particular conditions and opera- 
tions ; but there are others which may be regarded as prefatory, 
and to which, when they have once been dealt with, reference need 
not again be made. We consider a surgeon who is unacquainted 
with the anatomy of the parts upon which he operates, precisely 
in the situation of a mechanic who undertakes to repair a broken 
machine without any acquaintance with its mechanism or opera- 
tions. Both may possibly do good, but there is always much to be 
feared that they may work some irreparable mischief. It is true 
that empirics have made some discoveries no less valuable than 
wonderful, without even understanding the cause of results ac- 
quired by their experiments. Could we, however, but set against 
these discoveries, brilliant as some of them may have turned out to 
be, a true catalogue of the failures attendant upon the experiments 
in which they had their origin, we are sorely afraid the picture 
would exhibit a complexion which the discoverers themselves could 
not regard with much satisfaction. 



ARTICLE I. 

ANATOMY OF THE GENITALS IMPLICATED IN THE OPERATION OF 

CASTRATION. 

The testicles are the truly essential organs of procreation in the 
male species. They are the two oval glanular bodies suspended 
from the hollow between the thighs within a case or bag, denomi- 
nated the scrotum. The scrotum is mainly constituted of a loose 
skin, which is laterally a continuance of that covering the flanks 
and thighs, in front with the sheath, and behind with the perinium. 
In the center of the scrotum is a longitudinal crease called the 



HORSE GELDEr's GUIDE. 5 

raphe. This crease denotes the line of attachment of the septum 
scroti. On cutting through the integuments of the scrotum we 
expose a pale yellowish fibrous layer of substance, which anato- 
mists call the dartos muscle — this substance loosely adheres to the 
skin by cellular membrane, and is still more loosely connected by 
the same tissue to the tunica vaginalis, the first covering of the tes- 
ticle. The tunica vaginalis is a production of peritoneum formed 
into a loose vagina or sheath, which originates at the internal ring. 
It proceeds with and loosely envelopes the cord, and lastly in the 
same loose manner covers the testicle and epididymis, to which 
latter we find it firmly attached, but not terminated, for here it be- 
comes reflected, first upon the epididymis, then on the testicle, and 
lastly upon the cord, so as to give them all a second covering, 
closely adhering to the parts it invests. The vaginal cavity pos- 
sesses a smooth, polished surface, which is constantly lubricated 
with a serous fluid, which in the operation of castration spirts out 
the moment that the knife penetrates the tunica vaginalis. An 
abnormal accumulation of this fluid constitutes the affection called 
hydrocele. Coming now to the testicles and their appendages, the 
epididymese, their general form is that of an oval flattened laterally, 
and about the size of a goose egcg. Perciva,!, quoting from M. Gi- 
rard, says: "That the left is a little larger and more pendant than the 
right. ' ' This, however, does not correspond with my observation and 
experience, for in this country we almost always find the reverse of 
Girard's statement to be the case; and in my experience in gelding 
cryptorchids, I find four out of every five, at least, retain the left 
testicle within the abdomen. The testicle is suspended within the 
scrotum by the spermatic chord, which is composed of the sper- 
matic artery, and its corresponding veins, numerous nerves and 
absorbant vessels, and the vas deferens, which is a continuation of 
the convolutions of the epididymis, and is the conduit of the semen. 
The spermatic arteries, right and left, spring, in vsome horses, di- 
rectly from the posterior aorta, and in others are a branch from the 
posterior mesentric artery. The spermatic vein ascends from the 
testicle along side of its corresponding artery, and empties its blood 
into the under side of the posterior vena cave. The difference of 
origin of the spermatic arteries in different horses accounts for the 
different results of castration by drawing the cords. I will further 
allude to this mode of castration in a subsequent article. 



ARTICLE II, 



CASTING AND CONFINING. 



I am aware that many good horsemen have an aversion to cast- 
ing a horse, and that some gelders operate very well, on ordinary 
cases, using no other means of confinement than the nose twitch. 
However, a number of serious accidents have happened within my 



6 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 

knowledge, both to operators and animals, by unwarrantable care- 
lessness in this direction, and I woTild advise my readers never to 
attempt the operation of castration on horse or colt, no matter how 
plain the case may be, until the animal is cast and properly con- 
fined. Almost every operator has his own favorite way of throw- 
ing and tieing his subjects for operation, each of which have their 
own peculiar advantages and disadvantages. I have tried many 
different ways, and I think the method which I have been using 
for the last four or five years, and which I will here proceed to de- 
scribe, will perhaps present more real advantages, and fewer disad- 
vantages, than any other. My harness is composed of a surcingle, 
breast collar and crupper. The surcingle is in two parts ; the back 
band or saddle is four inches wide and eighteen long, of heavy har- 
ness leather, doubled and stitched; a square of solid wrought iron, 
three-eighths of an inch thick at each end of the back band, is for 
fastening sinch straps to. About five inches from the center of the 
back band, on each side, is two strong wrought iron rings in an 
iron clevis, which is riveted around the saddle. The belly band is 
the same length and width as the saddle, with the same sized iron 
squares at each end. In the center, and four inches to each side 
of the center, is an iron D, fastened stationary with rivets. The 
saddle and belly band are united by two strong sinch straps on 
each side, which are to be laced so as to bring the saddle and belly 
band exactly to their place, the rings on the saddle exactly opposite 
each other on the back, and the D rings on the belly band exactly 
under the chest. The breast collar is then fastened to the front of 
the iron squares of the saddle. The billets to which the crupper is 
buckled are attached to a large iron ring which is placed over the 
horse's coupling, and held to its place by a strong strap on either 
side, running from the ring to the iron squares on the belly band. 
When the horse is properly harnessed, each strap should be per- 
fectly tight, and in exactly the same position on each side of the 
horse. To each of the front feet and to the left hind foot is to be 
fastened a strong leather hobble with a large D ring in each; to the 
D in the hind foot hobble is to be tied a rope, the other end of 
which is to be tied to one of the rings on the back band so as to 
bring the foot a little forward of the other one, but not so short as 
to raise the foot from the ground. A strong rope sixteen feet long 
is then tied to the D on the right side of the belly band, then taken 
down through the D of the right foot hobble, then up through the 
center D on the belly band, down again and through the D of the left 
foot hobble, and finally up through the near side D of the belly 
band. The horse being now ready to cast, draw the head around 
to the right side by bringing the halter strap through the front ring 
on the off side of the saddle, then pull stoutly on the rope running 
through the front foot hobbles, at the same time push the horse a 
little, so as to throw his weight on to the off side foot, and allow 
the near foot to be drawn up to the elbow. When the near foot is 



\ 



HORSE GELDER S GUIDE. 7 

drawn well up, pull stoutly on both rope and halter strap, and the 
horse will lie down as easy as he would lie down to rest in the pas- 
ture; then fasten the rope so that the horse cannot extend the front 
feet, and by keeping the head drawn to the side, it is impossible 
for him to rise ; then to secure the horse for the purpose of castrat- 
ing him, the hind feet are to be fastened with strong ropes to the 
rings on each side of the saddle, but only drawn up to the stifle; 
a rope is then fastened to the upper hind foot, brought across the 
coupling and through an iron loop on the big ring that rests on the 
horse's coupling, then over the hip and between the thighs, drawn 
tight and fastened to the same foot; turn the horse over and tie the 
other foot the same way; this prevents the horse from shoving the 
hind feet forward. Another rope is then to be tied to the under foot, 
drawn under the horse, and taken through the loop on the coup- 
ling, drawn tight and fastened to the upper foot; this brings the 
hind feet close up to the stifSes, leaving the thighs spread apart so 
that the inguinal ring can readily be felt through the skin. I be- 
lieve this to be the safest way a horse can be tied. The rope across 
the coupling is a support to the back, and the feet being drawn up 
tight, prevents the animal from struggling. But, notwithstanding 
all the precautions that care and prudence may suggest, there will 
occasionally accidents happen to animals, both in casting and by 
struggling while undergoing operations. 

FRACTURES OP THE PELVIS. 

The most common accident horses meet with in falling, is frac- 
ture of the pelvic bones, which may occur in seven different loca- 
tions. A fracture through the acetabulam is the only fracture of 
the pelvis that is incurable. In a fracture through the acetabulam 
the injured limb seems to be shorter than the other, the foot is 
turned in, and the toe rests on the coronet of the opposite foot, and 
the animal is unable to bear any weight on the injured limb. 
Where the above symptoms are present, no time should be lost in 
putting the suffering animal out of his misery. The curable frac- 
tures of the pelvis are to be recognized by a flatness of the hip and 
a variable degree of lameness. Such accidents are to be treated by 
long continued rest in the stable, judicious feeding, and the admin- 
istration of mild aperients. 

BROKEN BACK. 

Fractures of the spine occur while the animal is on the ground 
and struggling from the pain of the operation or from the incon- 
venience of his position. 

Fracture of a vertebra may or may not be accompanied with dis- 
placement — the ligaments in some cases holding the bones in 
their proper place. When there is displacement and pressure on 



8 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 

the spinal cord, there will be total paralysis of the posterior ex- 
tremeties. In such cases no treatment can be of any avail. When 
a horse breaks his back while confined for an operation, the opera- 
tor is apprized of the accident by hearing a dull report within the 
animaFs body like the breaking of a rope. This noise is peculiar, 
and when once heard, can never be mistaken. When this report 
is heard the horse should be immediately released from his bonds 
and assisted to his feet. In some cases there will be no symptoms 
of lameness or weakness of the hind legs, the bones being held to 
their place by their ligaments. In other cases there will be partial 
paralysis of the hinder limbs, with knuckling over at the fetlocks 
when standing, and when moving the gate is rolling and unsteady, 
and there is plaiting or crossing of the legs. A case of this kind 
may generally be cured by putting the animal into comfortable 
quarters, and in a position where he cannot lie down or move about, 
and be kept quiet for two or three weeks. 

About the first of October, 1881, 1 castrated a colt for a Mr. Hart- 
sock, living about ten miles southwest of Iowa City. When 1 was 
taking off the last nut with the ecrasure, 1 heard the characteristic re- 
port, and on releasing the colt from the hobbles, he made an attempt 
to rise, but fell over again on his side, and lay for a time apparently 
unable to move. Having sufficient help at hand we lifted the colt to 
his feet, and by supporting him we succeeded in getting him into 
the stable, where we tied him so that he could not he down or move 
about, and after giving directions as to the care and treatment 
necessary, 1 left him in charge of the owner. The colt swelled 
very badly from standing still, as all colts will do after castration, 
if not exercised, but finally made a good recovery. 

When a horse has a broken back, it will not do to put him in 
slings, for the reason that as soon as he feels the support, he will 
allow his weight to rest in the slings, which will throw his back in 
an arched position, which is sure to misplace the fractured bones, 
and cause pressure on the spinal cord. 



ARTICLE III. 



CASTRATION. 



When the testicles have descended into the scrotum, and no com- 
plications, such as rupture, exist, the operation of castration is a very 
simple one, and has been successfully performed in a variety of 
ways. The characteristic differences of these various methods I 
need not describe, as I consider the most humane way to be the 
best of all ways, and that is by the chain or bar ecrasure and screw 
clamp, and is performed as follows : After casting and confining 
the animal in the manner described in the preceding article, the 
operator grasps the testicles, one at a time, tightly in the hand, so 



HOKSE GELDEK's GUIDE. 9 

as to draw the skin tight, when a longitudinal incision over each 
one brings them to view. The epididymis is then to be cut loose 
from the tunica vaginalis, and the ecrasure fastened on the cord 
at the proper place, neither too high up or too low down ; then the 
screw clamp is to be put on above the chain or bar of the ecrasure, 
and the screw set as tight as possible; the ecrasure is then to be 
screwed up until the cord is separated; the clamp is then taken off 
and the cord allowed to go back into the scrotum; in this way 
there is little or no hemorrhage. When, however, the ecrasure is 
used alone, the bleeding is sometimes alarming. The operation by 
ligature of the artery seems the most surgical and humane, but ex- 
perience has proven it to be the very worst, if we except that of 
drawing the cord out, as is practiced by some of the horse raisers 
of Colorada and Texas. I have known of several colts operated 
upon in the last mentioned way dying within a few minutes alter 
the operation from internal hemorrhage. 

CASTRATING CRYPTORCHIDS. 

In those horses retaining one or both testicles within the abdomen 
or groin, we find the testicle in three different locations, and in five 
different conditions, each of which we will describe in their regular 
turn as we proceed to describe the operation by which the testicle 
in each location and condition is to be obtained. To geld a 
cryptorchid or ridgling, as such horses are commonly called, it is nec- 
essary to have the horse cast and securely confined in the manner I 
have already described in the section devoted to that subject. 
When the horse is properly tied, he is to be placed with the side 
that is to be operated upon uppermost, and the operator either 
kneeling or seated behind the horse, proceeds as follows : Supposing 
the hidden nut to be in the left side, as is generally the case, the 
horse is laid on the right side; the operator then grasps the upper 
side of the sheath at the point with the left hand, and pulls the 
skin forward so as draw it tight, then, with the knife in the right 
hand, make an incision through the skin and dartos only, beginning 
about four inches from the point of the sheath and running back 
about five inches, being very careful not to cut more than barely 
through the skin and dartos, as there are a number of large blood- 
vessels on the side of the sheath and in the groin, an incision into 
any one of which might cause fatal hemorrhage. When the in- 
cision has been made of a proper size, the operator lays down the 
knife, pulls the cut open with the right hand, while the left hand 
is pushed into the cut and on towards the inguinal ring. In some 
cases the testicle will be found on the outside of the ring, enclosed 
in the tunica vaginalis. The nut is about one-fourth to one-half the 
natural size. When found , it is to be grasped with a pair of forceps 
and drawn down in sight, so that the tunic can be opened with the 
knife and the testicle exposed; then cut the epididymis loose from 



.10 HORSE GBLDEr's GUIDE. 

the tunic; then fasten the ecrasure on the cord above the epi- 
didymis; then the screw clamp above the ecrasure; then screw up 
the ecrasure until the cord is separated; then take off the clamp, 
and the operation is finished. I call the above described class of 
horses number one. In the next class, or number two, only the 
cord is to be found on the outside of the ring, enclosed in a rudi- 
mentary tunic, while the testicle is retained inside of the abdomen. 
In this case the cord is to be drawn down by the forceps, the 
tunic opened with the knife and cut loose from the cord; then pull 
gently on the cord, and generally the nut will slip out. But oc- 
casionaly the ring is too small to allow the nut to be drawn through 
without first being dilated. Dilatation of the ring is to be per- 
formed as follows: Pour into the opening about an ounce of fine 
olive oil; then insert into the ring, first, the index finger of the 
left hand; then the second finger, and then by spreading the 
fingers apart and turning them around, the ring is soon stretched 
so as to allow the passage of the testicle; then grasp the cord ' 
between the thumb and the palm of the hand, and as the fingers 
are withdrawn, the nut will follow them out, when the cord is to 
be crushed with the screw clamp and divided with the ecrasure, as 
before described. By this method of procedure, there is no lacera- 
tion of the inguinal ring, and no hernia need be apprehended, as 
the ring readily contracts to its normal size. In the next class, 
which I shall here call number three, neither testicle or cord have 
came through the ring. How then are we to get hold of the cord 
without putting the hand into the horse's abdomen to search for it? 
This is what has always puzzled the horse cutters, and caused the 
death of many a good horse. To geld a number thi-ee lidgling, 
proceed as on the number two, passing the hand up the channel 
■ to the inguinal ring, which will be found closed with a thin mem- 
brane, the peritoneum, which is easily broken through with the 
finger. Supposing it to be on the left side, the index finger of the left 
hand is to be carefully worked through, and then the second finger 
is also to be passed into the ring, then the fingers are to be spread 
apart and worked around so as to dilate the ring to its utmost, 
being careful, however, not to lacerate the ring itself — only the 
membrane obstructing it — for when the fibers that form the ring 
are broken, there is no telling to what extent the rupture might be 
carried, and hernia would very likely ensue, the bowels protruding 
in volume, which is always a very serious affair to manage and too 
often terminates fatally. The ring being sufficiently dilated to 
allow of the free motion of the two fingers, the operator is to feel 
around in all directions for the cord, which is readily distinguished 
from other abdominal viscera by its peculiar hard cordy feel. When 
the cord is found, it is to be grasped between the fingers and drawn 
out. If the nut does not readily follow, the operator should pour 
into the opening an ounce or two of olive oil, and gently tug at 
the cord, working the oil into the ring, so as to lubricate the parts. 



HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 11 

When this is properly done, the nut, if of normal size, will soon 
slip out, when it is to be separated from the cord and the horse 
allowed to rise. The only after treatment necessary is to keep the 
wound in the skin open until the internal parts have healed. 

The great majority of cryptorchids will be found as already 
described, but there are a number of abnormal conditions to be en- 
countered by the operator who does any great amount of ridgling 
gelding. These conditions are: First, atrophy of the testicle, in 
some cases nothing but the epididymis remaining. Second, hyper- 
trophy of the testicle, in some instance the bulk amounting to that 
of a man's head. Third, hypertrophy and ossification, and in two 
instances I have found hair in the tumor. Fourth, a cyst attached 
to the testicle containing a large amount of fluid, of a yellow or 
straw color. Fifth, adhesion of the testicle to the peritoneum and 
omentum. 

With regard to the first abnormal condition mentioned, that of 
atrophy, but little need be said, the operation in these cases being 
the same as on a number three ridgling, dividing the cord above 
the epididymis, or pride ball as it is sometimes called. The second 
condition, that of hypertrophy, is, however, a serious affair to deal 
with, very difficult to operate upon, and if not properly managed 
very dangerous to the animal. In all cases when the ring has been 
opened and dilated properly, as has been described on a preceding 
page, and traction on the cord fails to bring the testicle to view, 
a tumor may be suspected to exist. The operator should then pass 
the index finger of the left hand (supposing still that it is on the 
left side of the horse that he is operating) into the ring, at the 
same time pulling at the cord with the other hand, so as to bring 
the nut against the ring, in which position the operator can readily 
feel whether the tumor is hard or soft. If it is hard and unyielding 
to the touch, the operator has no other resource but to dilate the 
ring by incision. This is readily done by taking a probe pointed 
bistoury in the left hand, with the back placed against the face of 
the forefinger, then pass the finger and bistoury into the ring, and 
with a gentle sawing motion cut through the circular band of 
muscle which forms the ring. When this is done, the tumor can 
be easily drawn through, no matter how large it may be. The cord 
is then to be divided in the proper manner, and a large towel pushed 
up, fold by fold, into the cut, and the horse allowed to rise. After 
giving an injection to clear the rectum of feces, and watching the 
horse until he urinates, the towel is to be carefully taken out. By 
this means the bowels are kept to their place, whereas if the 
horse were allowed to rise without first putting the towel into the 
cut, the bowels would most likely come down in volume; or if the 
towel were taken out too soon, the horse in straining to stale or 
dung might strain the bowels out, which is always a troublesome 
and dangerous complication. (This accident will be treated of in 
section on Hernia.) If the tumor on examination has a soft fluctu- 



12 HOBSE QELDER's GUIDE. 

ating" feel, a large trocar is to be pushed into it and the fluid drawn 
off. This fluid in some cases amounts to a quart or more. The 
empty cyst is then easily drawn out through the ring without en- 
larging it by cutting. If the testicle adheres to the inside of the 
ring, the operator must use his finger nails to detach it. While 
pulling gently on the cord, work the finger nails under and around 
the nut until its adhesions give way, when the nut may be drawn 
out and taken off" in the usual manner. 

Though 1 have already mentioned in outline the different char- 
acteristics of the proper method of operating in each particular 
case or condition, yet it may render these characteristics more defi- 
nite if I relate in detail the history of one or two particular cases 
of each kind as they come along in my practice. 

ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 

In July, 1880, I was called to the farm of a Mr. Wm. Harding, 
a few miles from Keithsburg, Illinois, to castrate a seven year old 
horse, that showed but one stone in the scrotum. After casting 
and confining the horse in a proper position — it being the left tes- 
ticle that was missing from the scrotum — I made an incision in the 
left side of the sheath about five inches long, starting the knife 
about four inches from the point of the sheath, and running back 
in a direct parallel with the raphe; I then pulled up the upper part 
of the incised skin and pushed my left hand up the channel to the 
inguinal ring, which I found closed with peritoneum, (there being 
no tunica vaginalis in horses retaining both nut and cord within 
the abdomen); I pushed the index finger into the ring, and with 
the nail scratched through the peritoneum, then passed in the 
second finger, and then by spreading the two fingers apart, and 
turning them around as much as possible, I soon had the ring 
dilated so as to feel no pressure on my fingers when placed together, 
I then moved my fingers around in all directions until I found the 
cord, which I grasped between my fingers and drew it out through 
the ring, but the testicle did not follow as it should do in ordinary 
cases. After tugging at the cord for a few moments, I again in- 
serted my finger into the ring, when by pulling on the cord with 
the other hand, I could plainly feel a large tumor, as hard as bone. 
Not having a probe pointed bistoury at hand at the time, I laid the 
back of the blade of a small pocket knife on the face of the fore 
finger of my left hand, holding the handle lightly between the 
thumb and second finger; I then passed my finger with the knife 
blade into the ring, and by a sawing motion cut through the 
sphincter of the ring; I then withdrew the knife and again applied 
traction to the cord; just at this juncture the horse gave a violent 
struggle, and out popped the nut, as large as a man's two fists. 
After taking off the nut I pushed a large handkerchief into the cut, 
took out the other nut, untied the horse and let him rise. After 



H0K8E GELDER's GUIDE. 13 

watching him until he had dunged and staled, I drew the hand- 
kerchief out; the horse was quite stiff and sore for a few days, but 
made a speedy recovery, and was shortly afterwards sold for a large 
price. 

In July, 1879, I castrated a horse for a Mr. Josiah Thompson, 
living a few miles from Monmouth, Illinois. After drawing down 
the cord in the usual manner, and pulling at it for a few moments 
without being able to draw down the testicle, I felt in with my 
fingers and found a large soft fluctuating tumor, which I drew 
down by the cord against the ring and punctured it with a trocar 
and canula. After drawing out the cutting instrument there was a 
gush of straw colored fluid through the tube. About two and a half 
pints of this fluid escaped, when the testicle and cyst were easily 
drawn out without enlarging the ring by cutting; this horse also 
made a good recovery in a very short time. 

In June, 1876, I castrated a horse for W. H. Hankins, then living 
a few miles south of Sigourney, Iowa. After finding the cord m 
this case and drawing on it a few seconds with no result, I inserted 
my two fingers through the ring and again pulled at the cord, the 
traction on the cord tilted the nut up against my fingers, and on 
examination I found it adherent to the inside of the ring; I worked 
it loose with my finger nails and drew it out, bringing along with 
it about fifteen inches of the omentum, which I took away along 
with the testicle. I drove this horse myself through the country 
about my business for ten days, and returned him almost entirely 
well; and here let me add, that ordinary work or driving is in all 
cases beneficial; in fact I have never known a horse to do poorly 
that was worked every day after castration. 



ARTICLE IV. 

HERNIA, AND ITS TREATMENT. 

Hernia is named according to its situation. A rupture at the 
navel is called umbilical Hernia; a slight protrusion of intestines 
through the inguinal ring, is called an inguinal Hernia. When the 
protruded gut reaches the scrotum, it is called scrotal Hernia. A 
protrusion of intestine through a rupture of any part of the parietese 
of the abdomen, except at the navel, is called a ventral Hernia 

A Hernia is reducible when the protruded gut can be easily put 
back into the abdomen, and irreducible when it is not strangu- 
lated, but yet cannot be returned into the abdomen. A Hernia is 
said to be strangulated when the contents of the sack are not only 
irreducible, but are so compressed as to impede circulation. This 
condition soon causes pain and inflammation, and if not speedily re- 
lieved by a surgical operation, terminates fatally in a few hours. 



14 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 

The form of Hernia with which horse cutters most commonly 
meet, is reducible scrotal Hernia. When called upon to castrate 
a bursten, the operator should provide himself with a pair of 
clamps, about six or eight inches long, and about double as heavy 
as those ordinarily used for clamping the cord in the old method 
of castrating. After casting and securely confining the horse, he 
should be placed with the ruptured side uppermost. The operator 
then makes an incision through the skin and dartos only; then dis- 
sect the tunica vaginalis from the cremaster muscle as high up as 
possible; then work the intestine into the abdomen, holding the 
testicle down to the bottom of the scrotum. When the intestine 
has been carefully worked back into the abdomen, place the clamp 
around the cord and tunic as high up as it can be got and tie it 
securely, and it is well to further secure the clamp in place by 
passing a stitch through the tunic at each end of the clamp and 
tieing the threads around the clamp; then open the tunic and take 
away the testicle with the ecrasure. The clamp is not to be taken 
off, but allowed to slough away with the parts it incloses. Con- 
genital scrotal hernia is very common in foals of the large, coarse 
breeds, and colts in this condition usually thrive poorly. I cas- 
trated a number of foals in this condition during the season of 1881, 
all of which did well and throve better after the operation than 
before. Many foals have congenital umbilical hernia, and thrive 
poorly in consequence. The operation which I have adopted for 
closing an open navel is very simple in application, and has proven 
to be eminently successful. It is performed as follows : After cast- 
ing and properly confining the colt, it should be placed on its back, 
in which position the bowel is easily returned into the abdomen. 
After the reduction has been effected, two hickory skewers are 
passed through the skin and abdominal muscles, one at each ex- 
tremity of the opening; the skewers are united by wrapping a 
strong cord around their ends. Care should be taken not to draw 
this cord so tight that it will stop the circulation in the fold of skin 
included between the skewers. The objects to be attained are the 
union of the internal surfaces of the folded skin, and the produc- 
tion of an exudate to block up the hernial opening. This is gen- 
erally accomplished in about a week, when a second ligature 
should be applied, tight enoughjjto slough the enlargment away. 
A ventral hernia is to be treated in the same manner. It is, how- 
ever, in some cases more difficult to get the skewers to the right 
place, and for these operations I sometimes chloroform the animal. 

CONSEQUENCES OP CASTRATION. 

The normal or natural results of castration are a variable degree 
of swelling and a slight discharge of serum or pus. If the scrotum 
and sheath swell to an alarming degree, it is necessary to open the 
cuts on either side with the hand, and to make a few punctures 



HOESE QELDEr's GUIDE. 15 

along the sides of the sheath with a lancet or pocket knife, and the 
animal should be well exercised; if a work horse, an ordinary day's 
work will, with the treatment above recommended, usually reduce 
the parts to their normal size. After castration a horse should 
never be allowed to stand in the stable more than over night — turn- 
ing to pasture or putting to work is always to be recommended. 

Hernia sometimes occurs after large tumors have been taken from 
the abdomen, and is to be treated by returning the gut and sewing 
up the cut. The stitches are to be taken out in twenty-four hours, 
and the cut well opened up with the hand, all danger of a return of 
the trouble having passed by this time. 

Scirrhus of the cord need never occur after castration with the 
ecrasure, if proper care is taken to cut the cord high enough up to 
prevent the end from hanging out of the wound. 

Tetanus may result from castration, as it does when caused by 
any other injury, and cannot be imputed to any fault of the operator. 

Inflammation of the peritoneum may occur after castration, and is 
said to be due to the prevalence of easterly winds, or exposure to 
cold and wet, or to a constitutional tendency to inflammatory 
disease. 

I have made several post mortem examinations of animals that 
died from peritonitice after castration, and in every case I have 
found one or both the cords had drawn up into the abdomen. In 
three of these cases a ligature had been used in place of clamps, 
and in two cases the cords had been drawn out and considerable 
hemorrhage had taken place at the time of operating. 

The question has frequently been asked me why it is not as safe 
to draw the cords from a horse or colt as to draw them from a bull 
or calf ? 

By referring to our section on anatomy, it will be seen that in the 
horse the supply of blood for the testicles is in some cases derived 
directly from the posterior aorta, and is returned to the posterior 
vena cavae by a direct conduit from the testicle; while in the bull 
the spermatic artery is a branch of the external illiac, and the vein 
of the cord returns its blood into the external illiac vein. 

It is evident, therefore, that drawing the cord from a horse may 
rupture either or both of the main vessels of the hinder part of the 
body, which could not but prove fatal; while in the same operation 
on a buU a similar accident would be an impossibility. 

In 1875 I knew of eighteen colts being castrated by this method; 
four of the number died; in 1879, two out of five died in about 
fifteen hours after the operation, and another one of the same lot 



16 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 

died the fourth day. In 1880 a man by the name of Sheats altered 
two colts for a Mr. Mickey, living near Morning Sun, Iowa; both 
colts died from internal hemorrhage within a few minutes after the 
operation . 

Parlysis is noticed by some writers as occurring after castration, 
but I have never seen it, except in cases where the horse had 
broke his back or otherwise injured himself by struggling violently 
while undergoing the operation. 



GLOSSAEY 



Abdomen — The belly. 

Adherent — Sticking, uniting. 

Anatomy — A knowledge of the structure of different parts of 
organized bodies. 

Aorta — The large arterial trunk arising from the left ventricle 
of the heart. 

Acute — A disease having a rapid progress and short duration. 

Atrophy — Wasting or emaciation. 

Abnormal — Unnatural . 

Aperients — Medicines which gently open the bowels. 

Acetabulum — The cavity in which is lodged the head of the 
femur, or whirl bone. 

Bistoury— A small knife. 

Bursten — Affected with a rupture or hernia. 

Cremaster — A muscle which supports and compresses the tes- 
ticle. 

Cyst — A bladder or sack. 

Coronet — The top of the hoof. 

Conduit — A vessel that conveys blood or other fluid. 

Convolution — A winding or twisting. 

Cellular Membrane — The net work which connects the most 
of the structures of the body. 

Cryptorchid — A horse whose testicles have not descended into 
the scrotum. In the west these horses are called Ridglings. 

Canulla — A hollow tube. 

Dartos — The structure which currogates the scrotum. 

Dilate — To widen. 

EcRASEUR — An instrument used for dividing the cord in castra- 
tion. 

Epididymis — An appendage to the testicle. 

Empiric — A practitioner whose skill is the result of mere exper- 
iment. 



18 GIOSSABT. 

Fluctuation — The undulation of a fluid in a cavity. 

Groin — The depressed part of the body between the belly and 
the thigh. 

Genitals — The parts of an animal which 'are the immediate 
instruments of generation. 

Hernia — An unnatural protrusion of viscera. 

Hemorrhage — A bursting forth of blood. 

Hydrocele — Dropsy of the tunica vaginalis. 

Hypertrophy — Excessive growth. 

Integuments — The skin and cellular membrane. 

Inguinal — Belonging to the groin. 

Illium — The superior bone of the pelvis. 

Illiac — Pertaining to the illium. 

Juncture — A point of time rendered important by a concur- 
rence of circumstances. 

Longitudinal — Running lengthwise. 

Ligaments — A strong fibrous substance serving to bind one bone 
to another. 

Lacerated — Tom . 

Ligature — A thread used to tie arteries, or other parts. 

Lateral — Pertaining to the side. 

Lubricate — To make smooth or slippery. 

Mesentery — Membrane uniting the intestines. 

Normal — Natu ral . 

Ossification — The change of flesh into bone. 

Omentum — The caul. 

Pus — Matter produced by suppuration. 

Plethora — Excessive fulness. 

Peritoneum— The serous membrane investing- the viscerea of 
the abdomen. 

Peritonitis — Inflammation of the peritoneum. 

Pelvis — That part of the trunk bounding the abdomen, support- 
ing a part of the intestines, and the urinary and generative organs. 

Post Mortem — After death. 

Perineum — The parts between the anus and the generative 
organs. 

Parallel — To correspond to. 

Parites — The walls or sides of an object. 



GLOSSARY. 19 

RuDiMENTAKT — An imperfect organ. 

Raphe — A seam upon the scrotum. 

RiDGLiNG — A male animal, half gelt. Cryptorchid horses are 
called Ridgling. 

Serum— The fluid portion of the blood. 

SciRRHUS — A hard glandular tumor, often ending in cancer; a 
disease of the spermatic cord, consequent upon castration. 

Septum — A partition or division. 

Spermatic — Pertaining to the testicle. 

Serous — Thin, watery, pertaining to serum. 

Semen — Seed, male sperm. 

Stifle — The joint of a horse, corresponding to the knee of a 
man. 

Sphincter — A muscle that contracts or shuts an orifice. 

Stale — To discharge urine. 

Tumor — A morbid enlargement. 

Tetanus — Lock jaw. 

Tunica Vaginalis — The sheath of peritoneum that encloses the 
testicle and spermatic cord. 

Traction — The act of drawing. 

Trocar — An instrument for tapping a cavity filled vdth serum 
or gas. 

Umbilicus — The navel. 

Vena Caeva Posterior — One of the two main trunks of the 
venous system, receiving the blood from the hinder parts of the 
body, — one of the largest blood vessels. 

Veterinarian — One skilled in the diseases of domestic animals. 

Vagina — A sheath. 

Vasdeperens — Excretory duct of the testicle. 

Vertebra — Bones of the spinal column. 

Ventral — Belonging to the belly. 

ZooLASis — The Veterinary art. 



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